Airlines

[shoota]

Outside of cost, what are the differences between economy airlines like Southwest and Ted and more expensive airlines like American and United?

[Gregory Pratt]

Southwest has some amazingly friendly pilots and stewardesses. Funny people often. I love it.

[SoxFan1]

United has zero leg room if you're 6'5.

[Rex Kickass]

Usually the cost and the ability to have assigned seats. Southwest has no assigned seating and flies out of Midway. UA and AA fly out of O'Hare and have assigned seating.

[shoota]

Usually the cost and the ability to have assigned seats. Southwest has no assigned seating and flies out of Midway. UA and AA fly out of O'Hare and have assigned seating.

 

What benefits do the larger carriers offer that entice consumers to pay more for their service?

[sox4lifeinPA]

wait... If I hopped a SW flight tomorrow I could just sit wherever?

[Texsox]

wait... If I hopped a SW flight tomorrow I could just sit wherever?

 

You will receive a boarding pass number based on when you arrive for your flight. When your number is called, board the flight and take any seat. My personal favorite is the second row (first facing forward) window, There will be a 6" ledge against the side for you to stretch out and put your feet. There will be someone facing you, but will be better looking, so it's all good.

[RockRaines]

What benefits do the larger carriers offer that entice consumers to pay more for their service?

I fly 50 percent of the time with my job. I usually fly United because of the benefit of red carpet club, assigned seats and economy plus seating. Economy plus only costs you like 40 extra bucks and you get 6 in of extra legroom. Assigned seats are a must for me as I like to have extra legroom for my long trips and I cannot sit in the window seat due to my fear of flying. Also I have bad knees from sports and I need to stretch and crack my knees every so often. The planes used by United also seem to be newer and of higher quality. The only downside is that getting to Ohare is a pain. Also I like the frequent flyer programs of United and AA because I can use my points for other things like my Red Carpet Club membership.

 

When i fly short distances for work I sometimes take Southwest, based on the fact that they fly out of Midway which is much easier to get to for me. I REALLY hate the waiting in line thing though. There is always someone who gets there 6 hours before the flight and camps out in the line. I hate that you have to stand in line and wait for an hour just to get an aisle seat. People who are taller and do not like to fly like myself need to sit in an aisle seat. Also on some recent trips, I have found that many people are not trying to adopt the "movie theater" rule where they put coats on all the seats by them to either save the seats, or make nobody else sit near them. The one positive of SWA is that they give you free snacks vs the other airlines that make you pay.

[southsider2k5]

Fly a s***ty airline, and you won't have to ask what the difference is anymore

[NorthSideSox72]

I prefer some of the lower-cost carriers other than Southwest - Frontier, AirTran, Jet Blue. Those three all do assigned seating, all have either Direct TV or XM Radio or both in all the seats, leg room is decent, and Frontier and AirTran fly out of the less-congested Midway. But you don't have the cattle car, wait in line aspect of Southwest. So I recommend those three when possible for domestic travel.

 

Unfortunately, you can only go direct to a few cities on each of them. Which brings up another thing - never take a connection you don't have to.

[shoota]

I fly 50 percent of the time with my job. I usually fly United because of the benefit of red carpet club, assigned seats and economy plus seating. Economy plus only costs you like 40 extra bucks and you get 6 in of extra legroom. Assigned seats are a must for me as I like to have extra legroom for my long trips and I cannot sit in the window seat due to my fear of flying. Also I have bad knees from sports and I need to stretch and crack my knees every so often. The planes used by United also seem to be newer and of higher quality. The only downside is that getting to Ohare is a pain. Also I like the frequent flyer programs of United and AA because I can use my points for other things like my Red Carpet Club membership.

 

When i fly short distances for work I sometimes take Southwest, based on the fact that they fly out of Midway which is much easier to get to for me. I REALLY hate the waiting in line thing though. There is always someone who gets there 6 hours before the flight and camps out in the line. I hate that you have to stand in line and wait for an hour just to get an aisle seat. People who are taller and do not like to fly like myself need to sit in an aisle seat. Also on some recent trips, I have found that many people are not trying to adopt the "movie theater" rule where they put coats on all the seats by them to either save the seats, or make nobody else sit near them. The one positive of SWA is that they give you free snacks vs the other airlines that make you pay.

 

Interesting, that's they kind of information I was looking for. Thank you.

 

 

I prefer some of the lower-cost carriers other than Southwest - Frontier, AirTran, Jet Blue. Those three all do assigned seating, all have either Direct TV or XM Radio or both in all the seats, leg room is decent, and Frontier and AirTran fly out of the less-congested Midway. But you don't have the cattle car, wait in line aspect of Southwest. So I recommend those three when possible for domestic travel.

 

Unfortunately, you can only go direct to a few cities on each of them. Which brings up another thing - never take a connection you don't have to.

 

DirecTV and XM on flight is a nice convenience. I'll definately scope out Frontier, AirTran and Jet Blue for future travel. Thanks!

[RockRaines]

Interesting, that's they kind of information I was looking for. Thank you.

DirecTV and XM on flight is a nice convenience. I'll definately scope out Frontier, AirTran and Jet Blue for future travel. Thanks!

Frontier is basically good to go to Denver, they are trying to expand, but are still a small airline.

 

PM me if you ever have any other questions, I travel quite a bit and stay in alot of hotels, rent alot of cars and fly into alot of airports and I have established a load of opinions on the issues.

[DrunkBomber]

Ive flown Southwest and American. I normally fly American. Southwest does have some friendly people but the group seating is brutal. American overall I think seems to be best and if you get your ticket early enough they can be very inexpensive.